Improvement in apparatus for separating, concentrating, and amalgamating ores



H. H. EAMES.

Apparatus for Separating, Conentfatifng `and Amalgamating D res.

AM mwa-um bsnAPH/c ca M Mose anne's mocpsss) lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY II. EAMES, OF GOLD HILL, NORTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVMENT IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING. CONCENTRATING, AND AMALGAMATING ORES.

Specification forming part of Lete 's Patent No. 139,556, dated June 3, 1873; applicalion filed April 10, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY H. EAMES, of Gold Hill, county of Rowan, State ot' North Carolina, have invented a Combined Separator, Amalgamator, and Concentrator, of which the following is a specilication In the. amalgamation of gold and silver orcs it is well known that when mercury and gold or silver are amalgamated by the attrition of sand and other particles in theslime with which the amalgam was mixed it is broken up into what is known to the art as lloured mercur`y,7 which is as valuable, and is difcult to save. The chief object of my invention is to construct a simple and eiicient apparatus for separating this mercury from slime, but which apparatus may also be used both for amalgamating and concentrating sulphurets, and other orcs ot' metals, by means of a tier of inclined chutes or tables which rests within a stout frame, the lower end of each chute, except the bottom one, just above the highest point of the one below it, with which it communicates through means of an opening, thus forming a continuous zigzag 'inclined plane, each chute so hung as to be gentlyoscillated horizontally by a cam on one of the shafts at either end of the apparatus; the chutes to be made wholly of wood when used in a separator or in a concentrator, while one or more of the chutes are to be copperlined when used in an amalgamator; and each chute to have a ledge across its bottom to break and equalize the velocity of the current, as well as collect the particles with the most gravity; the said ledges to serve as dams for the mercury to be used in the amalgamator,as will more fully hereinafter appear.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use Vmy invention, I will proceed to more specifically describe its construction and operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a planview, of my invention when constructed as a separator.

A is a simple compactly-built frame of any .suitable material; B, the inclined chutes,

made of poplar wood, and preferably about six feet long, two feet wide, sides and ends a y two inches high, with an incline of about four inches,vand provided with an opening, b, at

their lower ends. Each chute B has the center of its upper end secured to, and oscillates horizontally on, the head cfa screw-bolt, c, that is secured to a head-block, C, made of iron, each of which, C, except the lowest one, serves as a cross-tie for frame A, land also has the rest for the lower end ot' a chute, B. The lower end of each chute is provided with two spokes, cl, that form a yoke or fork to lit and be horizontally oscillated by an eccentric cam, D, on an upright shaft, E. There are two shafts, E, one at each end of the apparatus, connected by bands on pulleys, (if, and driven by spur-wheels and counter-shaft, or

other suitable means, at a velocity oi about t one hundred revolutions per minute. Ou the bottom ot' each chute, about two-thirds its length from its head or highest point, l fasten slightly curved ledge c (see Fig. 2) about an A inch in height and beveled ott' on both sides, so as to permit the slime to flow without too much retardation.

To operate my separator, thus constructed, I take the slime containing the mercury and cause it to iiow with a streamof water into the highest end of the top chute B. The slime and water thence iiow slowly down the continuous zigzag inclined` plane, their velocity checked and equalizedf by the ledges e, at which points the mercury and other particles of like specific gravity accumulate conveniently for collection, the worthless slime passing from the machine at the lowest opening b. The shafts -E having been set in motion at the same moment that the slime and water were let in, their cams D, through forks d, give a horizontally oscillating movement very similar to that obtained in panning, and so greatly aid the action of gravity to separate the mercury and heavy particles from the slime.

When I desire to adapt my invention to a concentrator for separatingcopper or other ores, I use the machine as above constructed, excepting that I make sides and ends a ofthe chutes B about four instead. of two inches high,and the ledges e twoinstead oi' one int-.h high, the crushed ore and water being poured in as the slime and water, as above des sribed.

My invention is adapted to an amalgamator by constructing the machine as above, when used as a separa-tor, excepting that the second and vthird chutes B from the top are lined with copper on their inside, and have placed on them at the ledges c, on said chutes, lthe mercury to be used in amalgatin g. rI he water and ores to be amalgamated are then owed into the chutes and amalgamate with the copper-lining and the pools of mercury dalnmed up by the ledges e as they flow down through the tier of chutes.

The machine may have the features ot' my invention all combined, so that it may be readily adapted to act as a separaten, as a concentrator, or as an amalgamator, by constructing the sides and ends a of the chutes B four inches high, by having two sets ot' ledges1 e, that may readily be interchanged: one set ot' two inches in height for the machine when used either as a separator or as an anialgan1ato1,and the other set four inches in height when the machine is used as a concentrator, and by having two copper troughs made to tit the second and third chutes from the top, wherein they will be placed when the machine is used as an amalgamator,and from whence they can easily be removed when it is desired to employ the machine either as a separator or as a concentrator.

The chutes B are made adjustable to varirecast-se .oas degrees of inclination by means et' the screw-bolts c, which can be raised or lowered yto or from the head-block G. The chutes B may be hung on each side, instead of on the headblocks C.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The inclined zigzag plane formed ot' adjustable chutes or tables B, ledges e with or without copper lining or troughs, and supported in and by frame A, head-block U, and screw-belt c having the panning77 movement,

and constructed and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

2. The shafts E and cams D for giving a horizontally-oscillating movement to the chutes or tables B, constructed and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes specified. i

3. The adjustable screw-bolts c for adjusting the chutes or tables B to different degrees ot' inclination, constructed and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

HENRY H. EAMES.

Witnesses GEO. E. GOOLIDGE,

W. S. NEGUs. 

